Stereotype plate-cooling machine



ug. l, 1948. P. L. TOLLIS ON EI'AL 2,446,858

STEKEOTYPE PLATE-COOLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS P604 A. TOLL/601V mvo are; As 4. RICH/P06 fwd, M I mrzw Original Filed Dec. 29, 1944 A TTORNE'YS Aug, 10, 1948.

P. L. TOLLISON ET AL STEREOTYPE PLATE-COOLING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 29, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 59 INVENTORS my; 4. Tau/SON mva ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1948 2,446,858 STEREOTYPE PLATE-COOLING MACHINE Paul L. Tollison,

North Plainfield, and Charles L. Ricards, South Plainfield, N; J., assignors to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, Plainfield, N. J., a corporation of Virginia iiriginal application December 29, 1944, Serial No. 570,324. Divided and this application December 6, 1946, Serial No. 714,486

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved machine for making stereotype plates and more particularly concerns a unitary machine of this nature for successively casting, finishing, cooling and delivering stereotype plates.

This application is a division of our co-pending application, Serial No. 570,324, filed December 29, 1944, and relates particularly to the stereotype plate cooling features of the machine.

Stereotype plates for use in printing newspapers and the like are made by casting molten metal in a mold against an impression formed on a stereotype matrix, which is also known as a flong or mat. The cast plate is then finished by trimming the curved edges thereof and shaving the interior concave surface to the proper curvature. Thereafter, the finished plate is suitably cooled.

Machines of this nature in present use required either the manual transfer of the cast plate from the casting unit to the finishing unit or from the finishing unit to the cooling unit or the manual stripping of the mat from the cast plate and the subsequent replacement of the mat in the casting unit after each cast. Various other operations incident to casting and finishing the stereotype plates are also often performed manually or are subject to improper operation or failure in the hands of unskilled or inattentive operators.

The machine of the present invention includes an improved cooling unit for causing a cooling fluid to come into contact with the finished plate and cool it to the desired temperature, the cooling unit including an inclined runway down which the cast plate can slide by gravity under the control of improved stop means.

Particular objects of the present invention include the provision of means operable by the movement of the finished plate into the cooling unit for holding the plate therein for a predetermined interval and for causing a predetermined amount of cooling fluid to fiow into contact with the plate While it is thus held in the cooling unit. The flow of cooling fluid into contact with the plate is employed to control the operation of stop means that govern the movement of the plate out of the cooling unit.

Other specific objects, advantages, and characteristic features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, showing ageneral out- 2 line of the entire stereotype p1ate-making machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken along the center line of the machine and showing the plate cooling unit;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the cooling unit with the cooling water chamber and certain other parts omitted to disclose the construction; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

With reference to Fig. 1, the stereotype platemaking machine shown therein includes three principal cooperating parts, namely, the casting unit I, the finishing unit 2, and the cooling unit 3. To facilitate manufacture and shipping of this machine, it may be divided into its three principal parts along the lines indicated at 4 and 5, but these parts are so designed as to integrally form a unitary machine. The casting unit and the finishing unit rest on the floor, and the cooling unit is attached to and supported by the finishing unit.

The construction and operation of the casting unit i and the finishing unit 2 have been described in detail in our co-pending application, Serial No. 570,324, filed December 29, 1944, above referred to, wherein these parts of the machine are claimed.' The casting and finishing units will not be described herein, it being sufficient to explain that semi-cylindrical stereotype plates cast in the casting unit I are delivered to the finishing unit 2 where their inner surfaces are shaved and an end or tail is severed therefrom and removed, the finished plate being delivered to the cooling unit 3 along an inclined runway comprising oppositely disposed rollers that are engaged by and support the opposite straight side edges of the plates. The successive plates are periodically released from the finishing unit 2 by stop means described in our aforesaid copending application.

The cooling unit 3 includes a frame are having openings at its upper and lower ends for permitting finished stereotype plates to move therethrough. A plate P finished in the finishing unit 2 moves by gravity from the finishing unit into the cooling unit 3 along the inclined runway formed by the oppositely disposed sets of rollers 393 which are arranged in an inclined path as shown in Fig. 2. Each of these rollers is rotatably mounted on a stud All fixed in the bar M2. The lock nuts M3 are provided so that the positions of the rollers 393 with reference to the center of the cooling unit may be suitably ad 349 of the cooling unit. Also secured to the shaft- MT is the arm M8, the free end of which is pivotally connected to one endofthe link 419-; The other end of this link comprises a. yokepivotally attached to the trunnion 426; which is,

guided by the hub 42l on. the.- volume-control valve 422. This volume-control' va-lve', thereonstruction and operation of which are wellknown,

is provided with the inlet pipe'423tconn'e'ctedto H V a source of water under pressure; movement of the link 4 9 to the right (as viewed in Fig. 2), the volume-control valve 422 is -actu ated thereby and permits a predetermined amount of Water to flow through the outlet pipe 424. Volume control valves of this type are well known and widely used as toilet flush valves. They operate to permit the fiow of a predetermined amount of waterwhenever the actuating member is actuated, and even if such member is held in the actuating position. One well known valve of this type is manufactured and. sold by the Sloan Valve Company Chicago, Illinois, under the trade name Sloan Royal Flush Valve, and its construction and operation are shown and described in a leaflet published bysaid company under such name. Also secured to the shaft 4|! is the arm 425 pivotally attached to the link 426 in turn pivotally fastened to one end of the lever 421, which is pivoted on the stud 428 mounted in the frame349'of the cooling unit. The other end of 'thislever 421 carries the weight 429, the position of which along. thelever 42! can be adjusted in accordance with the weight of the finished plate entering the cooling unit.

The volume-control valve 422 is connected through its outlet pipe 424 to a special piston valve 430, in which the piston 43! is mounted. This piston is opposed by a, spring 433' contained in the hollow tube 434 mounted in the bracket 435 attached to the base 349'of the cooling unit, the end 436 of the tube 434 being closed, The piston 43l is also pivotally connected to the lower end of the plate stop 396, which in .turn is pivoted.

on the stud 431 fixed on the bracket 435. The bracket 435: and a corresponding bracket 438 at the lower end of the finishing unit Z'support the cooling-water chamber 439, which isformed in the shape of a half cylinder. The piston valve 430 is connected to this water chamber 439.

through its outlet pipe'440; the manifold 44]., and.

the pipes 442. The water chamber is'provided with the openings 443, which are partially cov-- ered by the deflectors 4.44 thatdirect the cooling water against the concaveinner surface of the. finished plate P.

When the finished plate comesin contact with the roller 5, the arm 41,6 iszdepressed, and the link 4| 9 is thereby moved'to the right (as viewed in Fig. 2). This movement actuates the volumecontrol valve 422 and: permits water under pressure to flow through the pipe 424' into the; piston valve 430 and through the inlet port 445 thereof (Figs. 3 and 4) against the piston 43 I. The pressure of this water pushes. the piston 431 tothe right against the resistance of the spring 433. This movement of the piston elevates the plate stop 396. so that the finished plate comes into contact rtherewith and islbrought to: rest within Upon. each with the screen 448' removes the Water from the cooling-unit;

Whenthe predetermined amount of cooling water has passed through the volume-control valve 422', itautomatically closes, and the pressure; againstthe'p'iston 431 is released. The spring 433 thereupon pushes the piston 43l to the'left (as viewed in Fig. 2) and the plate stop 396 is thereby lowered. The finished, cooled plate then rollsout of the cooling unit onto a conveyor or table (not shown) from which it istaken to the press room.

During each cycle the same predetermined amount of water passes through the volume-control valve 422, which can be adjusted to vary this amount as desired; and, hence, each cycle continues for a predetermined time interval. The operation of, the plate stop 39E;v is thus timed to coordinate with the operation of' the finishing uni-t by the supply of the requisite amount of water to cool each finished plate to the proper handling temperature.

The'customary piping: system for supplying the necessary cooling water to the several parts of the entire interest of clarity; It will be appreciated, of course, that such piping system, together with any other usual element which have been omitted from the drawings will be included in the finished machine.

We claim:

1. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber including. an inclined runway down which a plate can slide by gravity, a stop movable to an extended position to arrest the movement Of the plate within said chamber, a water supply duct, a valve in said duct, means responsive to movement of said plate into said chamber for openin said valve for a predetermined interval, and means operated by thewater supplied from said duct for moving said stop to its extendedposition'.

2. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber including an inclined runway down which a plate can-slide bygravity, a stop movable to an extended position to arrest the movement of the plate within said chamber, a water supply duct, a valve in said duct, means responsive to movement of said plate into said chamber for opening said valve for a predetermined interval, and means operated by the water supplied from said duct-for moving said stop to its extended position including a piston valve and a piston slidable therein, said piston actuating the stop.

3. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber including parallel inclined sets of rollers for conducting a; platethrough said chamber by gravity, a stop-movable-to an extended position to arrest the movement of the plate within said chamber, a water supply duct, a valve in said duct, a lever attached tof'said: valve, a movableroll'eroperatively connected tosaidlever, said .rollerin'ormally being positioned above' the machine. have been omitted in the other rollers and being depressed by contact of the plate therewith, means for opening said valve for a predetermined interval when said movable roller is so depressed, and means operated by the water supplied from said duct for moving said stop to its extended position.

4. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber including an inclined runway down which a plate can slide by gravity, 2. stop movable to an extended position to arrest the movement of the plate within said chamber, a duct to supply water under pressure, a valve in said duct, means responsive to movement of said plate into said chamber for opening said valve for a predetermined interval, a piston operated by the water supplied under pressure by said valve, means connecting said piston to move said stop to its extended position when water is supplied to said duct by said valve, and spring means for returning the piston to its original position after said valve is closed whereby the plate is released.

5. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber including an inclined runway down which a plate can slide by gravity, a stop movable to an extended position to arrest the movement of the plate Within said chamber, a duct to supply water, a valve in said duct, means responsive to movement of said plate into said chamber for opening said valve for a predetermined interval, means operated by the water supplied from said duct for moving said stop to its extended position, and means communicating with said water operated means for spraying water against the plate to cool it.

6. In a stereotype plate making machine, a cooling chamber, an inclined runway down which a plate can slide by gravity into said chamber, a stop movable to an extended position to arrest the movement of the plate within said chamber, a water supply duct, a valve in said duct, means responsive to movement of said plate into said chamber for opening said valve for a predetermined interval, means operated by Water supplied from said duct for moving said stop to its extended position and means for returning said stop to its retracted position after said water supply duct valve closes.

PAUL L. TOLLISON. CHARLES L, RICARDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

